Freight handling truck or machine



y 1952 E. SEAGRAVES ET AL FREIGHT HANDLING TRUCK OR MACHINE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed July 12, 1949 (/G/A/V EARL S'EAGRA 1/58 and 27164005140611. s/(sa BY may, W/W

- h wm A TI'ORNEKS y 1952- 1.. E. SEAGRAVES ET AL 2,601,933

FREIGHT HANDLING TRUCK 0R MACHINE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed July 12, 1949 SW 6 Rs r E E 35,} R: 2 m lw\(l\L m M A Q 5. l A a am a 3m m7 In} S Patented July 1, 1 952 FREIGHT HANDLING TRUCK OR MACHINE Lucian E. Seag-ravcs and Thaddeaus H. Skeel, Atlanta, Ga.

Application July 12, 1949, Serial No. 104,326

This invention relates to freight handling. apparatus and more particularly to .an attachment for a conventional automotive crane truck of the industrial type. Although it will be readily apparent that the invention has general utility, it is particularly adapted to handling bales of cotton.

With the conventional industrial crane type trucks, it is common to place articles to be handled on pallets which are picked up by forwardly extending arms on the lifting apparatus. This makes it necessary to provide legs on the pallets so that there is sufficient clearance above the floor to receive the arms of the hoisting mechanism. In handling material such as baled cotton, this is a decided disadvantage because bales are usually stacked or placed directly on the floor. The purpose of this invention is to provide an apparatus which is capable of picking the bales directly off of the floor and lifting them up, transporting them and then depositing them in a different location. The apparatus can also be used for carrying stacks of bales; the lower bale taking the place of the conventional pallet. On the other hand, the handling apparatus is'provided with forwardly extending arms on which a pallet could be supported if desired.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide improved freight handling apparatus which is very simple and yet very rugged.

Another objectis to provide an attachment for conventional automotive crane type industrial truck, the attachment being provided with clamping arms which can be moved laterally with respect to each other for the purpose of engaging articles such as baled cotton.

Other and further objects will become readily apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating an embodiment of the invention, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention shown attached to the conventional automotive crane type industrial truck with the carrying arms in a position to engage the ends of a bale of cotton;

Figure 2 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 but from a different angle, showing the carrying arms in their lowermost position where they could be used to support conventional pallet;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view of freight handling attachment made in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 4 is a vertical section on line 41-4 of Figure 3-; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Figure 3.

' 3'Clairns. (o1.214-1151) The illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings comprises a triangular shape frame structure I which is supported by the. conventional hoisting mechanism 2 of conventional industrial type truck 3. The truck forms no part of. the invention and therefore .no detail descriptionjis believed necessary other than to say tlrla'tv it. provided with appropriate power means for driving the wheels so that the truck maybe moved from place to place. The hoisting mechanism. comprises a telescopic frame in two parts, the lower outer section being rigidly secured to the truck. Aninner or floating section is adapted to be moved relative to the lower section of the, frame, suitable guide means (not shown) between the two sections of the frame being provided to guide the movements of the floating section. Appropriate mechanism in the form of, the chains and sprocket shown, are provided for raising and lowering the inner'or floating section with respect to the lower section of the hoisting mechanism, it being understood that the power means is utilized to drive the lifting mechanism.

The attachment or frame structure I contemplated by the present invention comprises an inverted U-shaped cross member I0 constituting the top of the frame. This cross member is secured to themember 1,2. which ,is a part of the inner or floating section, of the lifting mechaanism 2.. The lower end of the frame I is in the form of a. U-shaped channel member I3. Intermediate inclined elements I4 and I6 and vertically disposed element. 1'! have their upper ends welded to the flange of the cross member I0, while their lower ends. are welded to the flange of the U-shaped channel, member I3. The back side, of the frame I. constructed in identical manner and is secured to a second transverse member 20 mounted on the floating section of the lifting mechanism. The frame I just described in effect is a closed loop of very rigid and simple construction which at the same time is inexpensive to manufacture. The web portion of the member I3 constitutes a seat on which the lower end of a hydraulic motor can be seated. The web portion of the cross member I0 provides a seat against, which a compression spring I8 is seated. The advantage of this construction is that a single acting hydraulic motor can be used, the spring 18 being relied upon to return the piston when the hydraulic motor is not applied to the piston. Although the frame I has been described .as comprising upper and lower .U-shaped channel. members to which the intermediate members are welded, it would be readily apparent that if desired the flanges and the webs of the channel members could be constituted of separate plate members welded together to provide the channel member.

Arms l9 and 2! are pivoted respectively at the opposite ends of the transverse member ill, pins 22 and 23 respectively extending between the flanges to constitute the pivot point. Preferably the pins are welded to the webs of the cross member and are finished flush with the outer surface thereof. The arms l9 and 2| are provided respectively with suitable forwardly extending fingers Isa and 21a, The fingers are adapted to engage the articles or freight to be carried. As will be clear from Figure 5, each of the fingers is provided with a cylindrical stub shank 26 which is received in a cylindrical sleeve 21 on the lower end of the respective arms. The outer end of the stub shank 26 is threaded and is screw threadedly engaged by a suitable nut 28 whereby the fingers can be held in adjustable positions by loosening the nut 28, adjusting the angularity of the finger and then tightening the nut 28. If desired the fingers may be adjusted so that their widest dimension is placed in the horizontal plane so that they may be used to engage the underside of an article such as a bale of cotton or may be used to support the conventional pallet used in connection with freight handling industrial trucks. gers can be adjusted to such a position that they are better adapted to engage the sides of an article such as a bale of cotton when the arms are moved to the article clamping position by the hydraulic motor and other mechanism now to be described.

It will be readily apparent from Figure 1 that if it is desired to use the freight handling appa-= ratus in conventional manner, the arms 19 and 25 will be in their closed or vertical position. However, when it is desired to have the fingers iila and 2m clamp the sides of an article such as a bale of cotton, it is necessary that the arms be moved laterally so that the truck can be moved forward with the fingers slightly spaced beyond the ends, of the bales after which the arms are drawn together to clamp the bale. To this end a hydraulic motor 3| is provided, the lower end of the cylinder being fixed to the transverse web of the lower part of the frame l. end of the hydraulic piston 32 is provided with an elongated cap member 33. A suitable ring retainer 34 is fixed to the upper side of the cap member 33 and is adapted to position the lower end of the spring 58. As will be seen when the piston 32 is moved upwardly it will compress the spring I 8 and it will necessarily follow that when the hydraulic fluid is released from the hydraulic cylinder that the spring [8 will push the piston downwardly. In this way the cap member 33 can be reciprocated with very accurate control while using only asingle acting hydraulic motor. Adjustable links 39 and ll are connected respectively between the opposite ends of the cap member 33 and ears [9b and Zlb respectively on the corresponding arms. The upper ends of the adjustable links are pivotally connected to the cap member 33 by pins 42 and 43 respectively. Accordingly, when the piston 32 is moved upwardly the. arms will move about their respective pivot points 22 and 23, thereby bringing the fingers together and when the hydraulic fluid is released from the hydraulic motor the spring It will push the cap member 33 downwardly, thereby spreading the lower ends of the arms and the respective lifting fingers carried As shown in Figure l, the fin- The upper 4 thereby. It will be readily apparent that by means of the adjustable turnbuokles the relative range of movement of the arms can be adjusted.

Although the hydraulic mechanism for supplying hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic motor 8! constitutes no part of the invention, it will be readily understood that it will be desirable that the operator of the truckhave within his easy reach the appropriate control to control the relative lateral movement of the arms and fingers. It will be noted in this connection a suitable hydraulic control lever 45 is provided for controlling a suitable valve in the hydraulic line 46 which is connected to the lower end of the cylinder of the hydraulic motor. Through the lever 45 the hydraulic fluid can be supplied to or withdrawn from the cylinder in a manner well known to those skilled in the art.

From the foregoing description it will be readily apparent that the present invention provides an improved freight handline mechanism which is very rugged, simple and inexpensive, constituted as a single unit which can be attached to the lift mechanism of an industrial truck and be used for gripping the sides of articles such as bales of cotton or hay, or alternatively can be used in the conventional manner for lifting pallets on which articles may be stacked.

We claim:

1. In a freight handling truck, the combination of a vertically disposed wheel mounted frame, a second vertically disposed frame carried on said wheel mounted frame, an article engaging unit mounted on said second vertically disposed frame, said unit comprising a vertically arranged closed loop type frame having horizontally disposed upper and lower ends, a power unit mounted on the lower of said ends and having a piston adapted to move along a vertical axis toward said upper end, a crosshead connected to the outer end of said piston, a pair of arms pivotally mounted at spaced points to the upper end of said frame unit, links pivotally connected between the opposite ends of said crosshead and said arms whereby movement of said piston causes said arms to move toward and away from each other.

2. In a freight handling truck a combination of a wheel mounted frame, an article engaging unit mounted on said frame, said unit comprising a closed loop type frame arranged in a vertical plane and having rigid horizontal upper and lower ends, a power unit mounted on the lower of said ends, and having a piston movable vertically along the medial axis of said loop type frame toward the upper of said ends under the action of the fluid pressure, a crosshead connected to the outer end of said piston, a pair of arms pivotally mounted in depending fashion at spaced points to the upper end of said frame unit and symmetrically related to said medial axis, links pivotally connected between the opposite ends of said crosshead and said arms for moving said arms toward each other on vertical movement of said piston along said medial axis toward said upper end, and a spring between the opposite end of said closed loop type frame and said crosshead biased to return said piston to said cylinder and thereby cause said arms to move away from each other.

3. Freight handling apparatus comprising a frame unit mounted for vertical movement as a unit and arranged in the form of a rectangular shaped closed loop type frame and lying in a vertical plane and having channel shaped ends and intermediate connecting elements, fluid pressure power means mounted against one end of said frame and having a piston movable toward and away from the ends of said frame along a vertical axis, a crosshead connected to the outer end of said piston, a pair of arms pivotally mounted at spaced points to one end of said frame unit, said arms being provided with transversely extending article engaging fingers, adjustable links pivotally connected between the opposite ends of said crosshead and said arms forming therewith a lazy tong linkage assembly, and a spring between said crosshead and the end of said frame to which said arms are pivotally connected, said spring biasing said crosshead to- Ward diverging movement of said links and arms to return said piston downwardly when the fluid pressure is withdrawn from said power means whereby said arms are moved away from each other under the influence of said spring and are moved toward each other under the action of fluid pressure in said power means.

LUCIAN E. SEAGRAVES. THADDEAUS H. SKEEL.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,178,369 Dunham Oct. 31, 1939 2,323,810 Fontaine July 6, 1943 2,362,749 Gall et al Nov. 14, 1944 2,403,356 Francis July 2, 1946 2,475,367 Avery 'July 5, 1949 2,509,023 Vogel et a1 May 23, 1950 2,512,409 Adde June 20, 1950 2,560,438

Gunn, Jr July 10, 1951 

